Thrashing-machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2..

W. N. SPRINGER.

THRASHING MACHINE. No. 502,473. Patented Aug. '1, 1893.

I ATTORNEK' (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shet 3.

W. N. SPRINGER. THRASHING MACHINE.

No. 502,473. Patented Au 1, 1898.

WITNESSES: l/VVE/VTOR V 9?; v Br ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

WILLIAM N. SPRINGER, OF FORTVILLE, INDIANA.

THRASHlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 502,473, dated August1, 1893.

Application filed February 20,1893. Serial No. 463,045. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM N. SPRINGER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Fortville, in the county ofHancock and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvementin 'lhrashing-lvlachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in thrashing-machines.

The objects of myimprovement are, to cut the straw of the wheat, orother grain to be thrashed, into short lengths, so as to facililate itspassage past the thrashing-cylinder, and to discharge it from themachine by means of an exhaust-fan, all as hereinafter fully set forth.The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 represents a central longitudinal section of the machine. Fig.2 represents a side elevation of the receiving end of the machine. Fig.3 is a plan of the same, having the top of the casing removed. Fig. 4represents an elevation of the discharging end of 2 5 the machine. Fig.5 represents a section at a- Fig. 1.

The principal portion of the machine does not differ from ordinarythrashing machines, except, that the rear of the discharging end,

o instead of being open as usual, is closed by doors.

In the drawings, A, indicates the thrashingcylinder; B, the blast-fan O,the grain-trough, and D, the tailings-trough.

The ordinary mechanism for separating the grain from the straw isarranged in the body of the machine between the thrashing-cylin- ,derand the blast-fan.

,1 For the purpose of cutting the straw into 4 short lengths before itreaches the thrashingcylinder, I mount, on the main frame of the macine,above the thrashing-cylinder and in w the passage leading thereto, arotary cutter,

1 E, having knives F, F, which extend entirely across the passageleading to the thrashingcylinder, and which operate in connection with afixed cutter H.

For the purpose of automatically feeding the material to be thrashed tothe cutters, I

provide a chute, I, having on its under side an endless conveyor-belt,J, above which is arranged a series of rotary knives, K, which operateto cut the bands of the sheaves in the usual well known manner. That endof the carrier-belt which is next to the cutter E, passes over suitablepulleys on a fixed shaft, L, and the other end of the belt passes over ashaft, M, mounted in the outer end of the chute, which is verticallyadjustable by means of an extension leg, N.

Arranged above the conveyor-belt J, is a second shorter conveyer-belt,0. One end of the conveyer formed by said belt 0 passes over pulleys ona fixed shaft, P, mounted in the chute 1; while the other end of theconveyer passes over pulleys on shaft R, which is mounted in verticallyadjustable bearings which are held normally downward by weighted levers,S, S. The arrangement of conveyers J and O, is such that a passage, Z,is formed having converging upper and lower moving walls leading to thecutter; the inner or narrow end of the passage being automaticallyadjustable to the thickness of the mass of material passing through it.The opposed surfaces of the conveyer-belts J and O, are driven in thesame direction, as indicated by arrows, by suitable intermediateconnecting mechanism connecting the shafts on which the belts aremounted with a moving portion of the thrashing-machine, as the shaft ofthe thrashing-cylinder.

At the discharging end of the machine, I form a closed chamber, T, intowhich the straw is discharged after separation from the grain; doors Gbeing provided which permit access to the chamber.

Leading from chamber T is a chute, U, which communicates with the eye ofthe fan-chamber V, inclosing the exhaust-fan W. Extending from thefan-chamber is a dischargespout, X, which is vertically and horizontallyadjustable so as to discharge the straw at any desired point upon thestack.

For the purpose of giving greater steadiness to the operation of thethrashing-cylinder, 1 mount the rear carrying-wheels Q, under that endof the machine, and the forward carrying-wheels under the dischargingend.

The operation of my machine is as follows: The bundles of grain, as theycome from the field, are thrown into chute 1, upon conveyerbelt J, thebundles extending longitudinally along the belt. The bundles areconveyed by the belt beneath the band-cutters, K, by which the bands aresevered, and are then carried forward into the passage Z, and, passingbetween the fixed end of conveyer J as it passes over shaft L, and theweighted adjustable end of conveyer-belt O as it passes under shaft R,the straw is spread out into a thin stratum, and, being forced over thecutter-bar H and beneath the revolving knives F, is cut into shortlengths which fall into the thrashing-concave and are subjected to theaction of the thrashing-cylinder. The straw being short the grain iseasily separated therefrom, and the thrashing-cylinder is run at therequired speed with much less power than when the straw is introduced inthe usual manner. The straw after passing the thrashing-cylinder isdelivered, together with the chaff, into the closed chamber T, by meansof the usual well known separating mechanism and the blast-fan B. Thestraw and chaff are removed from chamber T through the chute U, and aredischarged through the spout X, by means of the exhaust-fan W I claim asmy invention In a thrashing-machine, the combination with thethrashing-cylinder, a revoluble cutter arranged to out the straw intoshort lengths on its way to said cylinder, and suitable separatingmechanism arranged to receive the straw and grain after it leaves thethrashing-cylinder, of a closed chamber arranged to receive the strawand chaff after it leaves the separating mechanism, an exhaustfanarranged to draw the material from said chamber, and adischarge-spoutleading from said exhaust-fan, all combined and arrangedto co-operate substantially as set forth.

NILLIAM N. SPRINGER.

Vitnesses:

H. P. H001), V. M. H001).

